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 In 1949, the Mikoyan-Gurevich (MiG) design bureau began work on a new fighter to replace the MiG-15. (2) features of the aircraft were a thinner wing of greater sweep and a redesigned tail that improved stability and handling at speeds approaching Mach 1 (speed of sound). The prototype MiG-17 (NATO code name Fresco) first flew in January 1950 and was reported to have exceeded Mach 1 in level flight. Deliveries to the Soviet Air Force began in 1952. Early production MiG-17s were fitted with the VK-1 engine, a Soviet copy of the Rolls-Royce Nene.
The VK-1F, an improved version with a simple afterburner and variable nozzle, was developed for the main production version, the MiG-17F (Fresco C). In 1955 the radar equipped MiG-17PF (Fresco D) entered service as a limited all-weather interceptor. The MiG-17PFU was armed with (4) AA-1 "Alkali" radar-guided missiles, making it the Soviet Union's first missile armed interceptor. Even though it was considered obsolete by the mid-1960s, the MiG-17 gave a good account over Vietnam, being flown by most of the top North Vietnamese pilots, including the leading ace, Colonel Tomb. Soviet production of the MiG-17 ended in 1958 with over 6,000 produced.÷ It continued to be built under license in Poland as the Lim-5P and in China as the F-4.
The MiG-17 served with nearly 30 air forces worldwide, including the Soviet Union, Warsaw Pact countries, China, Afghanistan, North Korea, Sri Lanka, Syria, Morocco, Cuba, Indonesia, and Cambodia. Though smaller than the USAF F-86 Sabre of Korean War fame, its weight and performance favorably compared to that aircraft. The aircraft on display is an early MiG-17 built by the Soviet Union in 1953. The MiG-17 came to the Museum of Aviation from the Bulgarian Air Force in April 1991 as part of an exchange with the U. S. Air Force Museum. It was used in both the interceptor and ground attack roles and later as a proficiency trainer by Bulgarian cosmonauts Ivanov and Alexandrov.
SPECIFICATIONS |
Serial # : |
540713 |
Wingspan: |
31 feet, 7 inches |
Cost: |
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Length: |
36 feet, 11 inches |
Max. Speed: |
696 mph |
Height: |
12 feet, 6 inches |
Range: |
1,290 miles |
Weight: |
14,770 lbs. |
Service Ceiling: |
52,366 feet |
Engines: |
One Valer Klimov, VK-1 turbojet with 5,952 lbs. of thrust |
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